Here We Are
by emilykmx3
Summary: AU. "I compared every single one of them to you."


**Hey guys, this idea kind of just came to me a couple of hours ago, so I figured I'd write it out and see where it took me. It'll only be a one-shot, but I'll be updating my other story most likely tomorrow. Like usual, I don't own **_**any **_**characters used, yadda yadda yadda, I just like to steal them for a little bit!**

**By the way, Elliot is divorced from Kathy in this one-shot. Wanted to make that clear because I never incorporated it inside the story.**

**Reviews are always appreciated! I'd like to know what you guys think because like I said, this was a spur of the moment idea.**

**-Em.**

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"Olivia." His voice caught in his throat as her name escaped his lips. Drenched, teary-eyed, and flustered, she stood in his doorway seemingly out of breath, clearly contemplating why she was there. He placed the bottle of beer onto a side table before reaching for her arms, trying to motion her inside, at least to make sure she didn't end up with pneumonia. She refused.

"Why weren't you there." She spoke, but it came out more of a statement rather than a question. Deep down, she knew why he didn't show up. It was the same reason that made her leave in the first place.

"Liv, I-"

"You're my best friend, and I needed you there with me. You're my partner." Quiet sobs could barely be heard, but they were loud enough for Elliot to realize how hurt she was. "But clearly you had more important things to do tonight." She nodded towards the empty beer bottles that lined the coffee table in front of the television.

He ignored her last comment entirely, ultimately pretending that it was never said. "Wait, why aren't you there?" It should have been the first question he had asked her, but she didn't exactly give him the chance to speak since knocking on his door. He glanced back towards his clock once she didn't answer. "It's not even seven, there's no way it's over."

"It is over." She shot back immediately.

He chuckled sarcastically at her comment, "Well, that's a short dinner, what'd you do, have it at McDonald's?"

"No, Elliot, you're not getting it," Her voice cracked immediately, letting him know this wasn't a joke, "It's done. My wedding is called off, the engagement is called off, everything is just done!" The tone and level of her voice rose as each point rolled off of her tongue, and more tears fell down her cheeks. His face dropped, and he pulled her into his apartment just as two of his neighbors opened their doors, curious about the argument they heard.

He sat her down on his couch and went to his room, grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts before leaving. He knew the clothes were too big for her, but the drawstring on the shorts would help, and anything was better than the soaked black dress and heels she was currently wearing. "Here, put these on, you're going to get sick." His words were simple enough for her to reason with, so she didn't object as she walked off to his bathroom to change. While she was changing, he grabbed his garbage and cleared off the table. It wasn't long before she was back in his living room.

He was right, though. The shorts were way too big for her.

Her arms were crossed across her chest when he walked over to her, the tear stains lining her cheeks more evident the closer he came. "Liv, what do you mean the wedding is off?" He soothed, rubbing her shoulders when he reached her as he continued to fail at trying to console her.

"I'm not marrying Porter." As confused as he was, a wave of relief came over him as those words left her mouth. "Don't look too upset Elliot, it's only your fault." She caught his previous smirk and shoved his arms away from her shoulders, heading towards his bathroom to get the clothes she had just taken off.

"Whoa, no you don't..." He grabbed her arm more forcefully than he intended to and pulled her back to face him. "You're blaming me because I didn't show up to your _rehearsal _dinner?" He was entirely flabbergasted, awaiting an explanation from her that would make any sort of sense.

"No, I'm blaming you because you can never just let me be happy!"

"Please tell me, Olivia, how I ever got in the way of you and any of your boyfriends." He walked off into the kitchen to put the garbage back under the sink, partially so he could avoid having to look at her for her next answer. He slammed the cabinet door and put his hands against the sink, looking down towards his feet. "Christ, Liv."

"See, that! Right there! I've spent over a decade listening to you, your problems with your marriage, with your kids because I wanted you to know that you could come to me with _anything._" The words were spilling out of her mouth faster than her mind could comprehend what she was saying."And every damn time I would go on a date, I would get nothing more than a 'you can do better, Liv,' or 'the guy's a creep, Liv.' All you did was make it impossible to keep someone beside me! You gave them a negative vibe before I even had a chance to!"

"Because they were creeps, Liv! All of them were!" He turned around and met her rampage with just as much anger, finally snapping once she brought up his family.

"Why could I never just find that out for myself, huh?" She lowered her voice a tad once she saw how angry he was. "I'm a big girl, Elliot, I don't need a father, I need a _friend._"

"I'm not getting why _any _of this has to do with why you called off your engagement, your wedding, you know, the one that was supposed to be _tomorrow_." He hissed back, making sure to empathize the last word. "It shouldn't matter what I think."

"Doesn't matter?" She was completely taken back by his statement, but he refused to look back at her. "Right, because I don't want my _best friend_ there with me at my own rehearsal dinner." She was almost whispering at this point, barely finding the words to say. "I don't want my _best friend _there walking me down the aisl-"

"Jesus, Olivia, what the hell do you want from me!" Her voice may have been soft, but he was done playing games, and the shouting supported it. "Stop trying to guilt me into feeling bad when we _both _know the reason why you aren't going to be at that church tomorrow morning is because you're too god damn insecure to let _anyone _be there for you! I should know, right? I've been your _partner _for over ten damn years!"

The words he screamed at her etched into her chest, and she could practically feel the sting they caused against her heart. "You stubborn son-of-a-bitch, you really just don't get it do you?" A small, sarcastic chuckle left her lips before she started heading to the door.

"Get what? Everything's my fault, Liv, I get it."

"Like I said, I don't want my _best friend _walking me down the aisle, Elliot." She turned around from his doorway only to say what she had been waiting to say for the past ten years of her life. "I want my _best friend _waiting for me at the altar." The door to his apartment shut, and he barely noticed she had gone.

"Liv! Wait!" He called to her just as she was about to get into her car. He didn't even realize how hard it was raining until now, and the clothes he had just given her were already just as soaked as the ones she showed up in.

"Why should I, El?" He stayed quiet, standing on his building's doorstep, dumbfounded. She didn't expect him to give her an answer to that question because she didn't know an answer he could give. "That's what I though-"

"I didn't show up tonight at the restaurant because I didn't want to see you make the biggest mistake of your life." Finally, his voice had calmed to the point where she could actually have a conversation with him. "You're too good for him, Liv." He was almost pleading with her.

"What makes you think that?" She should have just left, drove off for good, but she couldn't move.

"It's why you're here." He walked towards her slowly, barely able to see her clearly because of the rain. "It's why you're blaming me for getting in the way of every relationship you've had since I've been your partner."

"I compared every single one of them to you." Her eyes caught his, for he was now standing right in front of her, his arms stiff at his sides. "That's why I'm here, El. They didn't compare to you because I didn't want them to. They never had a chance."

"Well, I _am_ pretty incredible." He couldn't help joking with her, they both knew there was no turning back now. She took both of his arms and placed them onto her hip. His heart was frantic against his chest; he had never held her this way, and her heart mimicked his. Their relationship was always professional, and Olivia especially, kept personal business away as much as possible. "Liv, I want to be the one that you let in."

"Good. The door's wide open." She cupped his face in her hands and brought his lips down to brush against hers. Against the storm, he lifted her up, letting a small smile cross his lips as he deepened the new bond between them.


End file.
